


Hunting:Haunting

by DreamsInFullBloom



Series: Hunter & Prayer Series [2]
Category: Goblin Slayer (Manga)
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Age Swap, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Psychological Trauma, Roleswap, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:02:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28451343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamsInFullBloom/pseuds/DreamsInFullBloom
Summary: Even in a world of swapped roles, some things are just fated.(Still, the gods enjoy the little humors the changes bring)
Relationships: Goblin Slayer & Priestess (Goblin Slayer), High Elf Archer & Dwarf Shaman & Lizard Priest (Goblin Slayer), High Elf Archer & Goblin Slayer (Goblin Slayer), High Elf Archer and Priestess (Goblin Slayer), Priestess & Lizard Priest (Goblin Slayer)
Series: Hunter & Prayer Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2083851
Kudos: 12





	1. Three Adventurers Walk Into A Guild

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! So I decided to continue with this fic-verse (mostly because I just want to see how far I can go with it). I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing!
> 
> As similarly warned in the first story in this series - this fic is a Goblin Slayer fic, so there will be -  
> Torture  
> Gore  
> Violence  
> Trauma  
> And all sorts of other nasty, uncomfortable things. If these kinds of things discomfort you in the most extreme sense or can possibly trigger old traumas, I highly suggest you take the opportunity to click the back button or just close out the tab in general and find a story more to your speed. You have been warned
> 
> Otherwise, please enjoy the fic!

_Dear sister,_

_~~How are you faring~~ Are you doing well? Is everyone back home still ~~alive~~ healthy? I hope this years crops are still going good_

_I’m still trying to get used to being an adventurer, ~~but it’s harder than I thought~~ ~~not as bad as I~~ as I still have much to learn it seems. The guild receptionists are very nice though, and help me out when I need it._

_I also ~~made some friends~~ ~~had a party~~ ~~join with a new companion~~ am learning much from the adventurers there. They’re all very ~~knowledgable~~ knowledgeable. I hope I can become as ~~reliable~~ ~~strong~~ knowledgeable as them one day..._

* * *

He frowns at the letter, tosses the paper, and begins anew

* * *

Near the canal of a busy street, a brightly dressed bard tunes his lyre as he prepares for his daily performance. Already a few familiar with his songs have started to gather, drawing in curious others and forming a crowd around him rather quickly.

He adjusts his hat, plays a few strings, and slowly begins to sing

“ _The Goblin King has lost his head, to a critical hit most dire~!_ ” he croons, voice echoing around the growing audience “ _Blue blazing Goblin Slayer’s steel is shimmering in the fire! Thus the king’s repugnant plan comes to a fitting end – and the lovely princess reaches out, to her rescuer and friend!_ ”

They murmur and gasp as he pauses, soaking in their reactions “ _But they are the Goblin Slayer – In no place do they abide...and thus they’re sworn to wander, with no other by their side!_ ” he continues, already adding in a few extra bars in his playing “ _Alas, ‘tis only air within her grasp, the grateful maiden finds – the hero has departed, aye, with nary a look behind!_ ”

The song ends, the bard bows, and the crowds bursts into cheers and merriment as they begin tossing him coins.

As he collects his fees, a paired of booted feet stop in front of him, forcing him to look up at the cloaked figure staring down.

“M-may I help you?”

“That song you were singing earlier,” they say, holding out a bag of coins that causing the minstrel's eyes to shimmer with greed “I would like to hear about the story it’s from...”

He pulls out one, holding it to the light before biting it to test the taste and strength. Real coins, with the luster to match, this person must be from a rather well off family…

“Certainly!” he smiles, coming to stand fully before giving a slight bow and following the cloaked figure. Though it had been a while since he heard tale in passing from his last trip, he was certain he could at least scrounge up a decent picture for his generous donor.

(and as for the rest...well, he is a bard after all. One of the main skills you pick up for a job like this is story-weaving...)

* * *

“You’ve been getting better at this lately.”

The ranger perks up, staring blankly at the priestess as she continues to stare ahead, the rumbling dirt road bouncing the cart once more.

It’s been a few months since he started up with her, joining her on quests to defeat goblins and eradicate nests. They’ve just finished another one such mission – destroying a den that appeared on the outskirts of a village in an old elven fortress. Between setting ablaze the fortress to insure no other goblins could reclaim it as their own and hunting down the ones that were trying to escape their burning lair, it had been a down right messy affair, but they managed to get every last one of them.

“You’re doing a good job of keeping up with me, and you’ve gotten better in dealing with the goblins.” she says, finally turning her head to face him. “While our time together hasn’t been long, you’ve made a lot of progress. You should feel proud.”

Though it might have come off as such, she wasn’t attempting to be flattering. It was an honest assessment to his progress – he was getting better with his tracking, and his close combat had improved greatly, no longer hesitating to get in close to the goblins and make vital blows. It was hard to imagine that it had only been so long since they met in that cave.

“…I see.” he says, returning his gaze back to the fluttering canvas of the cart covering as a brief look of thoughtfulness passes over his features.

She regards him quietly for a moment, watching his hands tap lightly on his leg. While the holy woman takes no insult by it, she doesn’t quite feel like letting the conversation end there...

(And maybe she wasn't quiet comfortable with the kind of silence that was filling the air at the moment)

“You don’t agree?” she asks, almost teasingly, and the boy seizes up immediately, seeming almost scandalized to have even given such an implication.

“N-no, it’s not that,” he sputters, shaking his head wildly “I just, I mean...”

She watches as he stops midway, brows furrowing as he brings his knees up to himself, doing her best to stifle the amused smile forming on her lips – He always seems to do that when he wants to say something nice but has trouble coming up with the words. It was things like that that continued to remind her that, much as he was growing into his adventurer status, there was still a young boy somewhere in there.

(It was nice, really, to see he could still be capable of something so child-like.)

“...I will keep your words in mind.” he finally says, and when her gaze softens the boy immediately breaks eye contact and begins fiddling with his pack instead, sorting through his items one by one.

She watches for only a few moments, before going back to staring out the flaps of the cart, listening to the clatter of the wheels as the town faded into the distance.

( _He’s gotten much better at fighting goblins, but his social skills could still use more work._ )

* * *

When they finally make it back to the guild to collect their reward, the priestess and ranger come to a stop in the middle of the room, as across from them is a rather unusual sight.

Standing at the reception desk, yelling rather loudly, was a high elf, and dwarf, and a lizardman – The elf girl looked to be an archer, dressed in light armor and a simple cloak, the dwarf seemed to be a shaman of some kind with all that bright jewelry he was wearing, and the lizardman was obviously a priest considering his head-dress and traditional clothes. They looked to be arguing with the two receptionists in front about something that seemed to have the trio's leader acting quiet heated.

While it’s not odd to see one or the other pass through the halls of this place, to see all three together in one place as a party was unheard of (unless you were in the middle of setting up a punchline for a joke). Whatever they were here for, it seemed to have been urgent considering how loud they were being.

“Should we wait for them to finish?” the ranger asked, and the priestess was about to agree and lead him to one of the nearby tables, when she overhears the lizardman say something –

“I’m unsure of how you humans pronounce such a name,” he mumbles in an unsure tone, cocking his reptilian head to the side “But I believe the words used in your tongue are….ah, ‘Slayer of Goblins’, correct?”

The ranger shifts slightly to look at her, and she herself regards the three for a bit longer before making her way over.

(To send two hated enemies and a neutral party to search for her – someone must have really had a bad goblin problem)

The elven girl notices her first, ears twitching agitatedly over the idea of having her conversation interrupted “Hey, no cutting – we were here first!”

“My apologies.” she says with a small bow “I couldn’t help but overhear – you’re searching for an adventurer?”

The dwarf nods, tugging his beard thoughtfully “Aye, we came all this way to find the one called [Beardcutter] for aid in a quest, but unfortunately, we’re having trouble locating them.”

“I told you, their name is [Orcbolg]!” the high elf growls, looking even more irritated than before turning her gaze back to the holy woman “Anyways, we’re in a hurry, so if you could-”

“Oh.” One of the receptionists pipes up, peaking behind the three to wave at her while her coworker let out a relieved sigh and fell back into her chair “Miss Priestess, welcome back! Did you finish your quest already?”

She nods, ignoring the irritated squawk that followed from beside her as she greeted them back “Yes. I’ll make my report soon, but first – could you see to it the young one gets some tea for his break.”

She can already hear him getting ready to argue it’s unnecessary, and she’s quick to stop it.

“We’ve been traveling all day, and you’ve been on your feet for the most of it.” she states bluntly, and the boy’s mouth closes shut immediately “You should take the time to relax while I speak with these three.”

The trio in question blinked in confusion as she turned to face them, hidden expression serene and aura welcoming.

“They came a long way to find me after all.”

* * *

They’re shuffled off into one of the meeting rooms in the guild – a place usually ordained for when parties needed to negotiate dividing quest rewards or the receptionists were doing audits due to an adventurer receiving one too many reprimands on the job, to discuss the request the trio had of her.

Or at least they would have, if the Dwarf would stop his laughing for a few minutes.

“Will you quit it, you’re being rude!” the High Elf scolds, fuming even more when the dwarf responded with even more snickering “This is why I can’t stand dwarves – none of you have even the most _basic_ sense of decorum!”

 _Though I can’t say I can blame the response,_ She thinks, looking the human woman over with a suspicious eye. _Is she seriously a silver rank? I understand she just returned from a quest, but she’s dressed so poorly for travel, and she barely looks fit enough to hold her own staff. Hardly the look of_ _an_ _intimidating warrior,_ _especially one from such highly acclaimed ballads_ _._

“That’s funny, coming from an elf with her nose stuck up so high a griffon could fly in without her even noticing.” he chortles, wiping a merry tear from his eye as the elven girl glared and priestess looked on “But in honor of our guest, I’ll ask the fair lady to please forgive my discourtesy. When we heard the stories of you, they neglected to mention your...occupation.”

The human woman tilts her head curiously, and the Dwarf leans back, brown quirked and amusement hiding his sharpened gaze “I mean, imagine my surprise to learn the fearsome [Beardcutter], responsible for laying siege to a thousand goblin dens, was actually a priestess of the Earth Mother! Surely, you can see such a situation is hard to not find humor in.”

 _Still, she definitely looks the part – light robes for easy movement, chainmai_ _l_ _for proper protection,_ _and her staff has obviously been alter to use for melee purposes_ _. She might look frail, but she’s an adventurer no doubt._

The High Elf clicked her tongue as she flopped back down into her seat, arms crossed “It’s not funny, it’s...frustrating!” she groans, clearly disappointed “[Orcbolg] is _supposed_ to be this mighty human warrior, a person of great strength and fine reputation. We were going to have this powerful human come and help my people – and instead we have to rely on this... _shoddy-looking little_ _ **nun**_!”

She takes a sudden pause from her whining, then frowns when she immediately realized the hypocrisy of her statement “No offense.”

The priestess just nods politely at the two “That’s quiet alright, I likely surprised you all in the beginning. I had no idea rumors about me were so...prolific.”

The dwarf gives a blase wave of his hand “Bah, when you’ve been around as long as we all have, such things are hardly a surprise! You learn quickly to consider it just adding to your knowledge of the world” he says, side-eying his long eared companion as he added “Though _some of us_ could stand to take a chance and gather their wisdom a bit longer.”

The High Elf's frown deepens immediately “And what’s _that_ supposed to mean?” The High Elf bites back with a glower, and the Dwarf gives a dismissive wave of his hand

“It means you should take some time to learn from your elders Long-ears,” he counters bluntly, chuckling as she began to grit her teeth “A youngling like you has such a limited view of things, only knowing your bow and the forest you left out of boredom – If you’re so quick to dismiss things on appearance alone, you’ll never learn anything!”

Her already deep frown sunk another level “For your information, I’m _2000_ _years old._ ” she shot back, eye narrowed in displeasure as she sat up from her side of the couch “and I’ve learned plenty of what I’ve needed in that time – I wonder, how many years have _you_ spent learning, that you can even **claim** to be more knowledgable? Just how old are you in comparison?”

Rather than respond, the dwarf suddenly looked away in panic, and the green haired girl leaned down from her seat to stare an answer out of him.

“...107.” the small man ends up mumbling, and the high elf blinked a few times before slowly grinning down smugly at him

“Oho~, so young, and yet you call _**me**_ unlearned!?” she taunts, grin growing wider at the dwarf’s sudden blustering “Rather bold of a youngster like you to go and try to declare himself my senior and think himself an adult – But I guess when you go grey _that early_...”

The sparks of battle go off between them as the back and forth mocking continued, only to be immediately cut short by a deliberately loud cough

“Pardon my interruption.” the lizardman tuts with a short sigh “But I’d prefer you two not making light over your antiquity and bringing _shame_ to us who do not track our lifespans in centuries – Besides, we’ve gone far off topic.”

“A fair point.” The priestess says, hands falling into her lap as the three resumed their seated positions, looking upon her more seriously now “So, what is it you need of me?”

The trio shares a look with each other before the High Elf speaks, shifting herself into a pose and expression that seemed more professional and spoke better of her given age.

“I’m sure you’re likely aware of this, but more and more demons are appearing near the capital.” she says, brows furrowed in apprehension “It’s mostly due to the revival of the dark gods. We believe they’re trying to build an army to destroy the world. There have already been several close encounters on our end with their sympathizers...”

The holy woman nods, form still steady and seated. There had been talk of demons in the guild for some time as of late “I see, that sounds quite terrible.”

“It is” the elven girl says and nods back “As stated before, your reputation – inaccuracies aside, happens to precede you, so we were hoping that there may be a chance to gain your cooperation against the growing forces of chaos.”

She then points directly at the priestess, eye blazing dramatic with determined fervor “So, _will you help us_?”

The priestess barely moves, calm aura growing contemplative and making the elven woman gulp. They had spent weeks trying to track down the guild the goblin killing adventurer had frequented, and had run into so many difficulties in attempting to make it to this city just to meet her – Even if the rumors about her might not have been fully accurate, if they managed to get a famous adventurer like Orcbolg on board with them on this, it would be a huge boost in morale for their armies, and there might be a chance-

“While I feel for your circumstances,” she finally says “and am certainly aware of the responsibility you’ve been given, I’m afraid will have to decline your offer.”

The room goes silent as the three companions blink in confusion, trying to figure out if they heard right.

“…Pardon?”

The priestess moves to hold a hand to her chest “Unfortunately, I am already rather preoccupied with the goblins I’m hunting, and I’m afraid I can’t simply put off my work for your request.” she explains, sounding _genuinely_ apologetic “I do thank you for seeking me out, but you’re likely better off asking someone else with the free time to offer their services – In fact, there are a few adventurers here with much greater reputations that I can happily recommend in my stead, if you wish?”

The Dwarf and Lizardman stare incredulously at her while the High Elf balked, each one internally reeling with disbelief that their valiant quest had been so swiftly rejected (and so politely to boot too), all before the latter rose up from her seat.

“L-lady [Orcbolg],” the elven girl stuttered, doing her best to keep her face looking courteous as her shoulders shook “You… _are aware_ of what demons are, correct?”

“Yes. I was taught of them at the temple.” the human woman admits, crossing her legs daintily.

“And you _know_ demons are have been a problem to us adventurers for quite some time.”

“Indeed.” she says with a nod. Requests involving demons were rare, but when they come in, it’s enough to put even the most seasoned veterans on edge. Depending on its power, it often takes two or three to a guilds worth of silver ranks to be on the level necessary to deal with them, and even then, there’s a high chance only a third of the group sent might return if you weren’t careful.

“Then why not join-”

The woman shook her head, cutting the sentence off “I cannot. My sincere apologies, but you should go elsewhere to seek assistance for your quest.”

The Dwarf and Lizardman exchanged worried looks as the high elf leaned forward, shoulders hunched and ears twitching wildly. She looked about ready to blow her top, and it was only due to the severity of the situation the trio was in that was keeping its lid shut, though she was obviously coming close to losing what little self control that remained still.

“...Lady [Orcblog], _did you_ _ **not**_ _hear what_ _we_ _said?_ ” she half-growled as she tried (and failed) to keep her tone civil, delicate features slowly twisting with untold irritation as her gloved nails raked over the table. “An army of **demons** is coming – The dark gods are gathering their power _and_ their fiends to come wipe out not just this kingdom, but all of them, and we need **your** help _specifically_ to stop it. This is the fate of the world we’re talking about, _**understand**_?”

With the way she spoke, you'd almost think she was explaining this to a child rather than a apparently seasoned adventurer

“I do.” The Priestess replies bluntly, just causing the High Elf’s ears to twitch faster “ _And I still must politely decline._ ”

The High Elf’s remaining patience, already frayed and battered from both the long journey from the alliance meeting hall to the city and the monsters they had to fell on the road towards, having taken most of the day tracking down the guild, being stuck in that roundabout argument with the reception desk, and as well as the many shocks given in this one day about the fame hero she was searching for continuously, broke as she slammed her hand upon the table, causing the two next to her to flinch back.

“ _ **WHY THOUGH**_?!” She screeched, teeth gritted savagely and exposing her sharpened fangs “There’s an army being built-!”

“and the goblins are apart of that army, are they not?” she asks, causes the High Elf to blink wildly after being cut off “So as much as I would like to assist you, I simply cannot. I have a responsibility first and foremost to the people submitting those den eradication requests to the guild to see them answered – _that_ is the threat I must currently focus on.”

Naturally, the High Elf found herself even more confused and put-off. The fate of the world, the survival of all the races in the kingdom - being ignored for _goblins_ of all things! She'd feel insulted if she weren't already enraged by the sheer audacity this human had shown in the face of news of the coming dangers they were to face. You'd almost think she thought it didn't involve her?

“ **The** _ **demons**_ **are a bigger threat than the goblins right now**!” yells the elven girl, striking the table again “For every second we waste here, they’re numbers are already growing more larger!”

“And for every second I spend slaying demons in the capital, ten more villages will fall to goblin raids.” she counters, choosing at that moment to stand as well. With her staff next to her and the uncovered window behind, she almost looked like one of those saints from the church tapestry's, gentle yet foreboding as they stood on high, casting judgment on sinners “The earth goddess teaches us that we cannot ignore the small evils of the world, just because there are larger forces at play...”

Her staff hits the ground with a mighty **thump** as the High Elf tries to argue again “And just like she has taught me, _I will_ _ **not**_ _ignore_ _the_ _goblins simply because the world is in peril_. I won't throw their safety away just to go on a fool's errand to the capital!”

That causes the High Elf to freeze, and the Priestess settles back into her seat, a bit unnerved she allowed herself to get so emotional. She usually has a better hold of herself than this...

She takes a quiet breath “As I said, there are other adventurers here who’s skills I can sincerely vouch for, and I’m more than willing to introduce you to them that may help you with this quest of yours if need be.” she says slowly, trying to keep her voice calm “Surely, if my reputation is so vast, then these people can _certainly_ be relied upon in my place?”

The elven girl's mouth wobbles for a moment, face shifting between pure frustration and complete desperation as she moves forward to argue again, only for the Dwarf to pull her back with a hand on her shoulder.

“Now now Long-ears, we didn’t come here to force anything on the dear lady, remember?” he soothes, and she looks between him and the priestess as she hesitates for a few short moments, still seeming to want to put up a fight for persuading the good adventurer into submitting to her logic.

Eventually, she slowly falls back into her seat, displeasure still highly visible as she leveled a smoldering glare the human’s way.

The Lizardman, having been quiet for most of the exchange, suddenly cuts in, “Milady [Goblin’s Slayer],” he says, causing her and the rest to turn to him “I believe you have misunderstood us – While yes, we would like for your help with the army, our purpose here today is to have your assistance in dealing with a goblin den, as is your specialty.”

That seems to pique her interest a bit, and the early tenseness from before starts to slowly fade as she straightens herself up “I see…May you please explain to me in more detail then? It’ll help if I know exactly when they showed up and how many have been spotted since.”

His eyes go wide for a fraction of a second before he slowly nods.

 _She didn’t ask about a reward first..._ He thinks watching her mutely buzz with barely suppressed interest. Most adventurers, when doing direct quest commissions like theirs, would have just spouted out their pay rates before they even entered the room, but she hasn’t made a single mention of coin since agreeing to the meeting. _She also promised us another adventurer in her place, meaning she wasn’t simply paying lip service in order to placate us. Despite her mannerism, her sense of duty is quiet strong it seems._

“Before I do so, would you hear our story first?”

The priestess gives an affirmative hum, and the reptilian priest expression turned grim as he began recounting the events that lead them here “As my companion mentioned, one of the daemon lords has been brought back to this world, and is already making plans to see we all be exterminated – humans, lizardfolk, elves, dwarves, and all others would be quickly crush underfoot if they had their way. As such, the chieftains of my tribe, alongside your kings and these two’s leaders, gathered together to hold a conference to discuss how to deal with the coming threat. They concluded that our best option was to chose representative from each race as to act as a fellowship and cement their union against the devils they lead.”

“And we three be those representatives.” says the dwarf, jabbing a thumb at himself “We were told to take on quests and survey the land, all while keeping track of the movements of the chaotic forces and reporting back our findings.”

The high elf nods, eyes narrowed – though no longer out of anger it seemed “...a great battle is coming, and we’ve been tasked to make sure it does not occur, or at the very least insure our side be the victors in the end.”

The priest taps her chair arm thoughtfully. These three seemed to be carrying quite the burden it seemed. It was no wonder they had been so desperate to find her and why her refusal to join appeared to upset them (well, mostly the elf girl) so much.

However...

“That still does not tell me what my role is, or why my services are needed?”

The dwarf shaman is the first to speak up after the beat of silence that followed her question “Well, the alliance is _s_ _u_ _ppose_ to be preparing for a potential invasion by demons further west, but them nasty little goblins have been growing more active as of late, making a mess of things and interfering with our routes, particularly in the elves’s territory.” he sighed with a tug of his beard “We even lost contact with some scouts over there, which is why lil'miss anvil here is so antsy about getting your help.”

She looked over at the high elf and the latter crossed her arms as she broke eye contact immediately, expression taunt with worry and obviously too muddled by her own thoughts to counter the slight snuck in against her like usual.

 _Well, that certainly_ _explains why she’s been so...volatile_ _since_ _the conversation_ _started._ The priestess thinks before focusing on the topic at hand “How many nests have shown up so far?”

“Just the particularly large one discovered in the land, according to our last received report.” The lizard man explains, though she can’t help but hum in frustration at the lack of solid information. She certainly couldn't get much done with only that to go by.

“Have you only seen normal goblins?” she presses, leaning forward “Were there hobgoblins amongst their numbers? Have their been any Champions? Lords?”

The lizardman shakes his head, looking a bit perplexed at her terminology. Just how goblin obsessed was she to even come to know these words? “I know some of the former, but this is the first I’ve heard of these “goblin champions” and “lords” you speak of – What exactly are they?”

She straightens herself up in her seat, and grabs hold of her staff again “In our terms, they are the equivalent to platinum ranks – the ‘heroes’ and ‘kings’ of their species.” she explained calmly, pointing at her own silver tag for emphasis, particularly for the next part “They are also quite dangerous. While I’d still be able to kill them, even someone of my status would have trouble dealing with those types on their own.”

They stare at her pensively before looking between each other – for the famed goblin slaying adventurer to admit that much...

“The elves can’t asked for aid of the military, despite uniting with the territory kings?” she suddenly asks, and the three begin to look troubled, obviously hesitating on how to explain, before their green haired companion answers –

“...The nest’s location is near a border between the human lands and my race’s own,” The High Elf begins, expression bouncing between distraught and embittered “and while we may have formed a union, there are still...issues between the leaders.” she pauses from her explanation to try and find the most appropriate term she can “‘Unresolved disputes’ and what not. If the elves attempted to make a move against it alone, the humans who are still distrusting of us might take it as an act of aggression, or mistake it as us trying to plot against the group. For the sake of their joined efforts against the risen dark lord, we’ve been assigned to handle this case discretely as adventurers.”

The Priestess nods quietly, unsurprised by the answer. At the end of the day, the alliance was made less out of friendship and more out of necessity – if given the slightest indication of potential betrayal, the other leaders would no doubt rescind their aid and leave the other races to fend for themselves, demon lord or no.

(Not even the three before her were immune to the deep-seated grudges between their races, and it likely took a lot of traveling together for them to even get to a point of being able to even get to their current show of civility toward each other)

“Which is where you come in.” the High Elf says, ensuring her companions she was not going to make another outburst before standing and pointing at the priestess, eyes steeled with heated resolve to see through the goal that had brought them all the way here.

“[Orcbolg]," she says "Of all the humans in this territory, you have proven through your reputation that someone of your skill is the only one capable of being relied upon. Therefore, we have chosen _you_ alone to aid in eradicating this goblin’s nest.”

The elven girl stands tall in her declaration, proud to have made her point clear, but slowly loses nerve and begins to shake when no immediate answer was given. Eventually she - through pushing down whatever remnants of her pride were still burning bright, bowed her head slightly.

“Please – _will you join us_?”

The Priestess leans back against her chair, hands crossed and posture thoughtful as the three awaited her answer. She had been so adamant of not assisting with the demon subjugation, and they had little time to go find someone else if she refused them still. If she was still feeling hesitant, or insulted over their behavior earlier….

Eventually, she gives a hint of a nod “...I don’t see why not?” the holywoman says, adding on “It is to help get rid of goblins after all.”

The three feel a wave of relief run through them, and the high elf collapses into the couch. It wasn’t how they wanted or expected, but at the very least, they’ve gotten some headway now.

“Do you have a map of the area the nest was found in?”

The Lizardman bring out a roll of parchment, handing it over to her “Here you are.”

The holy woman unrolls it, looking over the contents “Old ruins I see…You said it was a large nest?”

“Exceptionally so.”

She nods, staring at the map for a few more moments before rolling it up again and handing back.

“I need to discuss something with a companion of mine for a bit.” she says, rising from her seat “Once that’s settled, I’ll depart as soon as I have my supplies and finish up with reporting my last quest. You can discuss payment with the guild receptionist downstairs – I recommend the silver haired one, she’s quite reliable with those sorts of things.”

The woman bows to them all, then steps out of the room with little fanfare, leaving the trio alone to recover from what felt like the most exhausting-

They stop to consider her last words to them again, and it takes them another minute to let them sink in

“W-wait, _does she mean to go alone_?!”

* * *

The High Elf, the Dwarf, and the Lizardman watch from the banister of the second floor, as the priestess stands below them, engaged in a rather heated debate with a scrawny little child near the front.

Or at least, the high-elf assumes as such – they can’t see the priestess’s face anyways and the boy’s back is turned, and they’re really only getting bits and pieces of the conversation above the chatter of the other adventurers, even with their advanced senses. But with how tense the holy woman’s form is, she’s obviously upset about the direction this “talk” is going...

“You...rest...alone...”

“...Fine...can still...”

“Oh dear,” the dwarf hums, looking up at his companions thoughtfully “It’s seems we’ve caused a bit of a dispute here – What do we do now?”

the Lizardman gives a shake of his mighty head “We are not their masters nor their kin, so I doubt we could intervene on either's behalf.” then sighs “I’m quite surprised though – the rumors said nothing of an apprentice, and such a young one at that…”

The high elf says nothing at that, just watches the two continue their arguing. From what she can see of the boy, he’s a frail little thing, barely looking fit enough to hold a kitchen knife, let alone a sword (then again, she thought the same of the priestess, and look what happened there). His clothes and armor are absolutely dingy-looking too, covered in dirt and scratches – did he not even go get himself cleaned up after they went off with the priestess? What sort of adventurer was he that he couldn’t even maintain a proper appearance!?

 _Still,_ she concedes as she watches his hands move to help emphasize his next argument _He must have **some** talent if Orcbolg brings him along for her missions..._

Suddenly, the priestess’s shoulders drop, and places a defeated hand on her head as the din finally dies down enough to hear the two properly –

“You…really are stubborn...” she hears said, exasperatedly so, but with a small clear hint of worry in that supposedly amused tone of hers “If that is your wish, I certainly can’t object – _but_ , we will have to ask them first if it’s fine for me to have you along.”

The boy seems to brighten immediately at the concession, and bounces on his heels excitably as the older woman sighs again, and the dwarf can’t help but let out a rather loud snort of delight.

“What an interesting lad!” he hoots, placing his hands in his robe pockets before making his way passed them and down the stairs “This quest’s certainly shaping up to to be entertaining – Can’t wait to see what else Lady [Beardcutter] has in store for us!”

She looks up at the Lizard Priest for some form of support, but all the reptilian man does is simply places his hands together in his races form of prayer before following the shorter man.

“I would no doubt have trouble facing my revered ancestors, were I to be so shameful as to propose a quest with no intent in providing aid.”

She watches the two walk off ahead of her, then looks back down at the two humans – specifically Orcbolg and the mystery she presented.

Who ever heard of an adventurer taking up a quest from a party and then _refusing_ to take said party with them? Especially after said party just got through explaining to her that they needed to complete this together to avoid an international incident! Honestly, She knew humans could be full of themselves, but there’s an absolute _limit_ to arrogance! Even now, she’s standing there like their conversation earlier never happened – all posture and good manners like she’s just finished talking to good friends from home…How was it possible for such a dainty looking woman of mankind to act so _bold_ _ly_ in the face of a descendant of the fae?

( _She smells of dust, dirt, and sinew, and yet somehow her form remains delicate and composed, like a living statue trying to hide the cracks in its stone_ )

“Honestly...” she mumbles before turning away, bounding down the stairs the other two descended with one long leap “How rude can you get – leaving your elders behind like that!”

* * *

When they make it to the priestess and her companion and get a better look at the latter, she can’t help but find herself blinking in surprise-

“Oh.”

The boy blinks back, obviously confused at her sudden interest while the rest looked at her with varying degrees of confusion and thoughtfulness.

She couldn’t help herself though, he was younger looking than she thought. A small, slim frame and face that still clung to its baby fat, wide eyes that seemed too fluid for their owner, all dressed in armor that seemed out of place on him. She expected to see this type of child running through the streets pretending the stick he grabbed off the road was a sword than standing here with adults twice his senior (and then some in her case), dagger clutching to his side like an old friend.

"How old are you?" she asks, and the boy just blinks again.

"F-fifften." he answer, in a voice that seems unsure of where it wants its pitch to lay but still sounding too soft for the age he gave.

She opens her mouth to comment, then shuts it immediately.

“Forget it.” she says with a quick shake of her head. Whatever, the boy’s appearance was not the point right now – they had a mission to fulfill (and some boundaries to clear up).

“Orcbolg.” she says, chest puffed out and expression stern as she spins to face the holywoman adventurer “I believe you’ve misunderstood us – _again_. We aren’t hiring you do the mission by yourself. Like we said, this has to be done by us under the function of adventurers-”

The other two flank her as her hands go to her hips, eyes burning with passion and determination “ _So,_ _as such,_ _we will be accompanying you as a party until the quest is finished._ ”

Like before, the human's body language remains formal and proper, even in the face of their determined daring “Oh?” The priestess says, voice feathery with suppressed laughter as the High elf’s eyes narrow “My apologies – in that case,”

She does it again – her form straightens up, her clothes seems to gain a shine all their own, and her covered face gives the expression of a sainted painting despite being as blank as a canvas as she curtsy at them, all while the boy stiffly follows suit with a small bow

“We will both be in your care.”

* * *

(She feels a damned smile creep up on the edges of her lips without her will or knowing – _Dear gods_ , this quest was going to be a nightmare!)


	2. Around The Campfire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2!

It takes them about two days to make their preparations, and three more to arrive in the area of their destination. The abandoned temple the goblins had formed their den in was about a few miles south on foot, so they decided to make camp for the night and continue on during noon time to arrive a bit after before next evening hit

( _“_ _Goblins are nocturnal, and are mostly active around nighttime –_ _and b_ _ecause of that, for them, our twilight is their “evening” and the time they’re the least alert._ _I_ _f we strike around sundown, we can_ _easily_ _catch them off guard._ _”_ )

So the group had formed a fire, brought out their rations, and begun engaging in small talk to pass the night

“So what made you all become adventurers?” asks the High Elf, detaching her cloak to place behind her while scooting closer to the fire.

“To sample the world’s finest cuisine of course!” the dwarf joked, skewering some of the meat the Lizardman was sharing with them from his pack onto a stick before holding it over the flames “What of yourself long-ears?”

“Well…” she says, tucking her arms underneath her legs “I wanted to see more of the outside world, so I-”

Her reminiscing is cut short by loud smacking sounds the half-man was making as his meat finally finished roasting and was already taking huge bites out of.

“Delicious!” he smiles, digging into his meal with rather vigorous gusto “I must say friend, you’re quite the chef!”

Her eyes narrow immediately

“At least _listen_ when you ask people personal questions!” she hisses, but the dwarf just ignores her again to turn his attention to the Lizardman

“What creature is this from?”

“It’s the meat of a swamp monster.” the reptile man answers, causing the elven girl to grimace in shock while the shaman inspected the food appreciatively

“Ah, I wouldn’t have know” he says “Those delectable spices and juices really do bring out the flavor, even if they’re a bit strange tasting!”

“The spice are from my home, and are not common here. It’s natural you would find them odd”

The Dwarf tears off another piece, and aims a teasing look the High Elf’s way “A shame our would-be rabbit can’t appreciate such a meal.”

She glares heatedly at him until an _enticing_ unfamiliar smell wafts passed her nose. She turns to see the Priestess hands her a bowl of sweet smelling soup.

“It’s made with vegetables and dry beans.” she says “I understand elves are not ones to partake in the meat of animals, so I hope this is to your liking.”

She takes it hesitantly, observing the food for a moment before scooping up a bit and taking a small test bite, ears pricking up happily as the sweet taste of potato and soup stock explodes in her mouth

“Mm! Sho delicious!” she chirped, already taking more spoonfuls. The dwarf shakes his head at her while the Lizardman chuckles.

The High Elf then turns to the Lizardman Priest, still chewing “What abouf you, why diftd you become an adfvenchurer?”

He takes a moment to think “I wish to seek out and remove all heresy I see, and hopefully raise my reputation high enough to ascend to Nagahood.”

The priestess tilts her head curiously at him “Religious motives? How honorable.” she says “Can’t say I’m similar.”

The reptilian humanoid blinks in surprise “How so? Did you not say that you are a follower of the Earth Mother?”

The priestess responds with quietly gripping her staff “Yes. Her hand guides my strikes and her rolls foresee my steps – but while I still hold her teachings close to my heart,” she pauses to rub dirt off the emblem of her staff “I doubt she’s thankful towards me invoking her name for the sake of such a selfish goal.”

“It’s not selfish.” the ranger states bluntly, startling the two. He had been mostly keeping to himself and quietly enjoying his meal until this point “Defeating goblins is important.”

The High Elf and Dwarf watches as the holy woman’s shoulder’s sag, but the tension in them remains “It is – but it is sadly a goal not shared by my goddess, I believe. Her miracles were meant to give ministration to the lost of this land, not...how I have used them.”

The circle grows quiet as the former two mull over her words while the Lizardman regards her for a moment.

“What you say of the power of miracles is not false,” offers the reptilian priest, causing the human woman to turn to him “The gods grant us priests these spells to guide others and use their blessings for those who are harmed - But even if how you use them is not their intended purpose, your goddess still chose to grant them to you, all the same."

He takes that moment of silence to add more word to the fire "So with that considered, even if she may not agree with your goals, she must still see some worth in your actions, correct?”

She seems to silently consider his words for a few moments, turning her gaze upward.

“...You may be right. Perhaps I will ask her, one day.”

“Then I shall pray to my own gods that you get such a chance, and come to tell me the answer!” he says with a wide smile and a low laugh, and despite her face being hidden, there’s definitely a gracious smile underneath her veil

“What of you boy?” The Dwarf asks, pointing his skewer in the other human’s direction “What brought you to the dear Lady [Beardcutter’s] side?”

He puts down his dagger to tug at his guild tag, firelight dancing off the sheen of the milky metal

( _Everyone’s eyes fall on him when they return to the guild, and the receptionist who approved their quest just stares on sadly from behind her desk, as though she’s overseeing a funeral procession_ )

“...The Priestess saved me from goblins.” he states calmly “So now I’m helping her kill them.”

The Dwarf raised a curious brow “Oho? And before that?”

“I just…wanted to be an adventurer and send money back home.” he answers, stare hardening as the shadows of the fire flicker over his face “I didn’t realize things would be so different...”

If the boy’s sudden change in expression concerned him, the Dwarf chose not to say so “It usually isn’t.”

“Still, it must get boring hunting goblins all the time.” The high elf jokes, smiling brightly as she leaned back “Or are you like [Orcbolg] in thinking they’re the only monsters worth killing.”

At that, the boy’s posture suddenly goes rigid, turning still as stone as his face became disturbingly blank

“ **Yes** ,” he says, startling the high elf with how _hollow_ the word comes out, and suddenly his gaze just goes terrifyingly dark, blankly staring at nothing, even though his eyes were cast forward.

( _Sickly yellow is staring at him from the dark tunnel ahead, **laughing-**_ )

“All I need to do his help the priestess kill goblins _._ ** _Nothing else matters after that_ _._** ”

The circle grows quiet again, and the three adventures share a look with each other while the Priestess continues eating, though it’s obvious from how her posture changed that those words unsettled her too.

The High Elf eventually lefts out a deep, frustrated sigh, and craws over to where they gathered their supplies as she starts rummage through her bag. Before anyone could ask what she was doing, she takes out a bundle and unwraps it, revealing strange looking square-shaped biscuits.

She takes one and shoves it into the young boy’s face, breaking him out of whatever spell he cast on himself.

“Just take it.” she huffs, and proceeds to hotly stare him down when he blinks in response until she sees him take one and continues to do so until he finally takes a small nibble of whatever he was given.

He chews on it for a while, before swallowing “...It’s good.” he mumbles, and slowly takes another bite. It was soft but crunchy like bread, and rather sweet, with a bit of a nutty aftertaste to it.

“Right?” she says with a smile, chest puffed out proudly “They’re elf rations! Traditionally, I’m not supposed to share them with people outside my clan – _bu_ _uuuuuuuu_ _u_ _t_ _~_ , since tonight is special...”

“Special?”

She gives the boy an offended look “Of course – tomorrow’s our first adventure together as a party after all!” she scoffs, and the Dwarf shaman chuckles at her childishness as he follows her lead and goes to rummage through his own pack.

“Well then, if we’re getting into the habit of sharing treats,” he grins, pulling out a large looking vase with twine covering. When he uncovered it, a sweet, pungent smell flowed through the air that strangely reminded him of the bar he’d passed on his first day into the city.

“What is that?” The high elf asks as she stares curiously, and the half-man brings out a ladle to scoop out some clear-looking amber liquid.

“Dwarven fire wine!” He carefully holds out the ladle to her “You said we’re celebrating our first adventure, yes? So why not add a bit of flavor to it” then adds with a smirk “Unless our dear long-ears here is too much of a **child** to partake?”

She crinkles her nose at the insult, and swipes the ladle, splashing a bit on her clothes and the ground “Hah, _just who do you think you’re taking to_?” the green haired girl sneered “Wine is just a bunch of grapes, and the elves of my clan have many fine ones! I doubt this could even _compare_ to our stock!”

She swallows the wine in one gulp – and her face explodes in red and steam, toppling over immediately afterwards.

The Dwarf topples over in riotous laughter as the Ranger hovers over her in concern while the Priestess tries offering her water “GWAHAHAHA!! Just like a youngling to bite off more than she can chew – or should it be ‘drink more than she can swallow’?”

The Priestess moves away when it looks like the girl is still breathing, head tilted curiously “Strange, it’s said those with blood-ties to the fae are known for their resistance to alcohol – That must be quite a wine.”

The small man scoffs “Bah, just foolish rubbish from even more foolish braggarts! The only types that can’t appreciate the majesty of dwarven ale are those who have never tried it!” he sneers, eyes suddenly shifting into a mischievous glint as he scoops up another cupful and offers it to the other woman of the party

“What about yourself, dear lady? Care for a taste?”

The Priestess hesitant for a brief moment (The ranger briefly wonders if the Priestess was still bound to the vows of the Earth Mother sect, and if any of those involved alcohol), then carefully takes the ladle, lifting her veil just enough to drink but still keep her face hidden from the rest of the group.

When she finishes, she hands it back, somehow still coherent and on her feet.

“Hmm, it seems you have a point.”

The Dwarf lets out a long chuckle “Oho? A warrior, a woman of the cloth, _and_ a drinker!” he laughs, offering her another cup that she takes politely “The Lady [Beardcutter] continues to surprise us!”

* * *

The ‘celebrating’ continues well into the night, and the High Elf eventually recovers enough from her stupor to start drunkenly draping herself over the priestess while the woman sits unperturbed, politely allowing the elven girl to prod and tug at her.

“Whash the big deal wit the veil [Orrrcbolg]?” she slurs, poking at her fabric “How th-the *hic* how the heck ish you supposed to fight goblins with this?”

“Goblins are quite vicious, and aren’t afraid to claw at your face if it means you’re no longer capable of resisting or casting spells.” she explained calmly “The veil aids as personal protection for me.”

“Whabbout the hood?”

There’s a brief pause “Personal preference.” she admits with a slight shrug of her shoulders

“You ain’t worried about hits to the head?” the Dwarf asks, knocking lightly on his own for emphasis. “Doesn’t look all that safe, if I’m being honest?”

The Priestess shakes her head, gesturing at herself “It would make it difficult to navigate dens and cast spells, especially when the goblins themselves already have so many advantages against me – However, I do have several pieces of headgear with me that can be used in the oft chance of such an occurrence.”

While they talked, the High Elf tries to sneak over to the holy woman’s bag, curious about the strange looking scroll peaking out from the various knickknacks and bottles within. She had been insistent on keeping her things by her side when they stopped to set up camp, and she wondered if this had anything to do with it….

“Plus...” Just as the High Elf reaches for the flap, the Priestess immediately smacks the other female adventurer’s hand, causing her to yelp in pain as she begins stroking her bruised knuckles “I’m quite confident in my reflexes.”

The elven girl pouts, and the priestess simply pulls her bag up to her lap to properly close it, pushing the items back in carefully

“Wha ish that an...anyways?” The elf girl asked, inebriated eyes shining inquisitively “L-looks like a magic sc-scro-*Hic*scroll.”

“That’s because it is one.” the holy woman answers, ensuring the item in question was secure “A reward from a quest I did a long time ago.”

The Dwarf gives an impressed whistle while the Lizardman strokes his chin “Interesting, I heard such items are quite a rarity.”

Magic scrolls where items containing powerful magics from ancient bygone eras, sealed in enchanted paper to allow even a child to access their might. They are capable of containing any type of spell conceivable – but with the cost of only being able to be used once. Because of that, most either end up selling them on the market for a quick high profit, or simply give them to academies to be archived or used in research.

“What s-spell is it? Tell me tell me!” The high elf tipsily whined, shaking the woman wildly “Ohhh, is it a sp-special *Hic* special goblin slaying spell? It…it is, isn’t it!”

“I’m afraid I can’t say.” she says, lightly pushing her away “If something were to happen with the goblins, and they managed to force you to reveal its power, we would be quite a pinch.”

The answer is unsatisfactory and just prolongs the tantrum. When it seems her begging and crying won’t get her any answers, the elven girl pouts even harder and slinks off, only to then begin cuddling with the Ranger, giggling to herself as she ruffles his hair repeatedly, much to the boy’s muted chagrin.

“Speaking of,” the Lizardman hummed “I do wonder where it is the goblins come from? My ancestors once spake of a kingdom beneath the earth that housed them and their ilk, and they are lead by the red moon’s light to bring disaster unto others. Is it the same for your kind?”

The ranger shakes his head “My older sister says they come from the green moon.” he says, navigating his arm around the high elf’s gangly limbs to point at the object in particular “It’s cold and empty, so the goblins get jealous of everything we have here and come down to steal it for themselves.”

The dwarf nodded sagely as he took another sip of his wine “According to what’ve heard, the way to our land is opened from their homes in the shadows, and so the goblins rise up to cause mischief. If you go around being prideful and ungrateful of your blessings, the little rascals show up and bring you ruin.”

“I’m told they’re born from the...the god of the *hic*dark lords” says the high elf, still a tad bit sloshed but now more coherent and aware of her surroundings now. Seemed like she was slowly recovering from her inebriation “When he crafts their monsters, there’s these _teeny_ tiny bits left over that he ga...gathers up to throw out, and they...uh, they forms the goblins when they fall out of his hands…..B-because the pi-pieces *hic*, the pieces are so small and fragile, the goblins end up being the same way, which is why they’re so w-weak.”

The three begin to compare and contrast stories of goblins from their individual lands, and the priestess just watches them quietly from her spot, hands in her lap. With all the merry making and cheerful chatter, the scene had become one she was familiar with long ago.

( _Four children walk along the church halls, laughing and giggling to themselves as they hide from the searching gaze of the_ _older_ _girls_ _needing to bring them in for morning prayer_ )

“...I was told goblins are make by mistakes.” she suddenly says, tone somber, and startles the rest out of their conversation “‘When you fail at a task, a goblin is born’, that is what the holy sisters of my temple once said.”

The group goes quiet, and the High-elf motions for her to continue. The Ranger is familiar with the tale, as the adults in his village told similar when he and his friends misbehaved or got into fights with each other.

The Priestess moves her hand to gesture at her covered face “A lie creates their eyes and mouth, so they’ll be able to deceive you well; an ignored chore forms their feet and laziness their legs, to make them slow and clumsy” she says, voice still sadden but now filtered with a slight sing-songy tone as she pointed to each body part “Their torso is made of envy, which always leaves them hungry, while hurtful comments creates their arms and pranks form their hands, so they can reach for you whether they are...”

Her hands then move out of her lap and thread together “Finally, their head is crafted by disobedience, so mischief and cruelty can fill their every thought” she finished, staring at the lot of them like she was the god of justice about to pass judgement over their very souls “If a child does all that, they’ll create a goblin, who then goes into their room and snatches them up, taking their place to convince other children to misbehave and create more goblins for them.”

“Oh dear,” the dwarf gasps, then elbows the High Elf, face full of false concern “Best be careful long ears, we wouldn’t want you getting gobbled up before we head in. Bound to create an entire army just by your lonesome”

Its at this point the High Elf had now completely recovered from her drunkenness, and flushes appropriately in rage “ _Yoouuu_ …Just you wait, I’ll make sure I shoot **every** goblin I see tomorrow!”

The Priestess ignores this, eyes still locked ahead, like she was staring at something only visible to her “It was mostly used to scare us into behaving and not skipping morning prayers.” she continues, shaking her head slightly “It never worked though, no fully – We always seemed to manage to get into mischief anyways...such silly, disobedient children...”

The boy ignores the ensuing argument to watch her, wondering if she realizes she was still talking (or that she had slipped into third person)

“Are you talking about your friends?”

She doesn’t answer him, instead turning her gaze skyward, eying the two moons above “Maybe that’s why...if we had been good then too...”

They wait for her to finish, but then her head suddenly drops, shoulders sagging, and the high elf scoots over to see what happened.

“...She fell asleep.” she says, when she hears the soft breathing from behind the veil

“Fire wine must’ve finally gotten to her.” the Dwarf sighed as he covered up his jar “She did have quite a few cupfuls.”

The High Elf blinked, then turned back to the priestess with her arms crossed “Bet she waited until then so she wouldn’t have to finish answering questions.” she huffed, feeling a tad bit impressed “Clever girl that.”

The small man shakes his head, staring at the downed holy woman’s form “Quite the opposite–”

( _Her tone is cool and smooth, but the way her hand gather the fabric of her clothes show the story she’s thinking of is a painful one_ )

“I think she actually managed to overdo it a bit...”

* * *

Once everyone (Mostly the dwarf and high elf) was ~~no longer hung over~~ well rested, they head for the direction of the nest. At the rate they were moving, they’d manage to get there by sunset, but enough so that they’d avoid coming across the goblins when they were their most active. The entryway had two goblins and a wolf standing guard, the latter which was believed to be a mount (“Goblins know how to ride animals?” “No, but they can learn to.”). Since it hadn’t been eaten, it was believed they had plenty of supplies to keep them well fed and properly tided for any attacks they planned, which is why the party needed to strike now.

The High Elf managed to take out all three rather quickly – one arrow and a properly read headwind being all that was necessary to pierce their skulls in a single fell swoop.

The ranger’s eyes sparkle with amazement as the archer dropped her arm and gave a proud tilt of her head. He considered his master a well versed and capable archer, once seeing him take on a bear twice his own size with only a handful of arrows and a fraying bow string, but not even that man was capable of such a feat.

(Not that he’d ever say that to him out loud, lest he wanted to earn a quick rap against his head)

“Impressive, what sort of magic did you cast to achieve that?”

The elven girl smiles and gives a scolding wag of her finger to the wondering Lizardman “‘ _Any sufficiently practiced skill is indistinguishable from magic_ ’.” she quotes, basking in the silent praise before the Priestess assures that there no others coming or being alerted of their guards death.

The group moves from their hiding spot to the place the three fallen enemies lay, and the Dwarven Shaman, Lizard Priest, and High Elf almost go ahead to enter when the Priestess suddenly holds her hand up, signaling them to wait.

“What are you...” begins the High elf, watching curiously as the holywoman moved quietly towards one of the corpses

“Goblins have a strong sense of smell,” she says, and removes a knife from her satchel “Particularly for women – We need to disguise our scents before we continue in.”

She opens her mouth to ask more – and ends up choking back a shocked gasp as the human woman cuts open the goblin’s torso with no warning, before taking out a rag of some kind and shoving it into its innards.

Once it was thoroughly saturated to her satisfaction, she held it over her head and rung it out, soaking herself in the goblin’s blackened blood before repeating the process and holding the defiled cloth to the elven girl.

It’s clear what’s being asked over her without even needing to question it.

“...No.” she stuttered, already backing away from the priestess “No way! You have got to be kidding me!”

“It’s necessary if we want to avoid being ambushed.” The priestess insisted, holding the cloth out again, so the High Elf swerved her head to the Ranger in hopes of stopping whatever madness was about to begin

“Hey kid, talk some sense into her–”

However, the ranger was not where he had been behind her, and when she turned back, she saw he had moved away and was doing the exact same thing as his master, covering himself in goblin blood from head to toe.

He looked up at her, staring back blankly.

“You should hurry before the blood dries.”

The High Elf collapsed to her knees while the Dwarf and Lizardman look on in a mixture of bewilderment and horror...

* * *

( _...Insane. Both these goblin obsessed adventurers were insane!_ )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for post chapter talk!
> 
> I'm a little frustrated because it feels like the chapter's too short. I tried doing everything to fix that, but in the end, it either felt too tacked on or interrupted the flow I had, so I ended up just leaving it as is, so sorry!
> 
> It should be noted that I've only read the manga(to the most recent arc) and accompanying spinoff/side mangas and not the novel, so if you feel I've skipped something/gotten something wrong in regards to world building (particularly, those stories the group shared on their race's beliefs on goblins), that's likely the reason. I'm mostly working with what I've read while also shooting very loosely from the hip here via my own stuff.
> 
> Well, that's everything, next chapter will be soon!


	3. Down below, where does one go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sup!
> 
> Quick pre-chapter trigger warning!  
> This chapter is going to contain -  
> Dead bodies  
> Descriptions of post-torture injuries
> 
> It start after "When it does, her heart stops." and ends on "Then the missing party..."
> 
> Just skip ahead after that if you don't

_The bard flips the coin he received into into the air again, holding out a hand to let it land with a light "Pap!" before placing it back into the sack with all it's gold and silver siblings. Ahh~, there was nothing better than the feel of a well deserved service fee to make you feel so alive! Especially when his after performance payouts (aside from today) have been seeing a bit of a dry spell for a while – though that really couldn't be all that helped as of recent. Demons had been said to have started popping up near the capital, and there's been talk of a rise dark lord or something another being the cause. Every bard worth his weight in salt (and who could afford a horse or cart) had left to be present for when the hero of their next ballad was born of a field of blood and glory, leaving the average performer like himself to take advantag-ehem, fill the gap, as it were. Unfortunately, having fewer bards around meant that folk often heard the same song more than once, and weren't willing to pay out just to hear it in different tone or from another instrument, so you either had to get creative, or get **starving**._

_(Luckily, he had creativity in spades - that and some very helpful merchant folk willing to let him tag along on trade routes to hear other songs and stories along the way)_

_"So, tell me more about this [Orcbolg] character you were singing about before."_

_The bard frowns lightly in confusion, and his patron frowns back. They - or rather she, had taken of her hood, revealing mint green hair framing long pointed ears and spring grass eyes, the latter of was glaring at him deeply_

_"You know – [Orcbolg]? ' **Blue blazing [Orcbolg]'s steel is shimmering in the fire~** '" they says, starting to sound frustrated "You said you'd tell me more!"_

_That gets his eyes to light up again "Oh, right! Sorry about that!" he laughs, scratching the back of his head apologetically "My elvish is a bit rusty, you see..."_

_The patron doesn't stop frowning, but she's calmed down a bit. "That's fine. We really don't have a proper way of saying that title in your tongue."  
_

_He gives a easy smile, happy that things haven't escalated "Well, to answer your question," he began, already gesturing his hands "I heard about it while coming back from a trip to a small hamlet east of this city. Apparently there's this silver ranked adventurer in a city in the frontier that's pretty famous in the quest circles. The only silver rank there willing to take goblin quests it seems."_

_Her ears perk up in surprise as she leaned in "Silver ranked? Are you sure?"_

_He nods, though the doubtful look she sent him remained. Can't blame her for being so surprised, he was the same way when the story came to him.  
_

_"Why are they called [Orcbolg]?" she asks, and he almost forgets their earlier concession._

_"Apparently, they got their name when they showed up at that city's adventurer guild a few years back, took a request to save this noble's daughter" (or or maybe it was a miller's daughter. Goblins tend not to be picky when it comes to stealing away fair maidens.) "After the poor girl was stolen away when a nasty goblin horde came across her carriage when it broke down."_

_Despite trying to maintain a serious face, the elf's ears twitched with unbridled excitement, and him being the entertainer he was, couldn't help but indulge her "They went off to find the hoard, armed with their wits, their sword, and determination to save the poor kidnapped maiden themselves - But wait!" and cuts her off as she looks to question " I bet you're wondering, 'They went on their own? but an adventurer who did that would be killed by monsters in an instant'! But you see, our dear Goblin Slayer isn't a normal adventurer - they say they're stronger than 20 men! Armed with a sword made with the most finest steel, that burns bright blue at the sight of monster blood..."_

_Her interest was piqued, and he took quick advantage as he wove a fantastically journey through villages and mountains, slaying beasts left and right as the Goblin Slayer sallied forth to rescue the kidnapped daughter. Countless harrows were encountered, fantastical discoveries were uncapped, and eternal friendship had flourished on their path, but they never strayed from their goal. Eventually they came across the goblin's nest - an abandoned castle owned by a fallen lord from centuries long ago._

_They made their way through the halls, cutting down every goblin they could until they reached their leader - the nefarious goblin king._

_"With their enemy before them, the Goblin Slayer stepped forth, drawing their weapon as the Goblin king drew his-"_

_("I'm not joking! Was like.. **.watching a monster dancing with devils**! Dodged every blow, and then just took one swing and crushed that goblin's skull-")_

_"-Like a ripen fruit, and his head when rolling!" he finished with a grin, making a slicing motion across his neck "Came back a right bloody mess, but the girl was saved and the quest complete." then paused to take a sip of his own ale (generously paid for by his dear patron of course!) "Then they took the next goblin quest, and then the next one, and then the next one, and then the one after that, all until they reached silver rank. Since that day, all they do is take quests to kill goblins and nothing else."_

_The elf hummed thoughtfully, arms crossed as her ears began to twitch faster. For a moment, the bard worried he might have gotten a bit too creative and now she had seen through the fact that he really only knew the name and that (rather bloody) anecdote that had come with it. Probably shouldn't have laid it on so thickly with that little sidestory about the orphans_

_Then she stood up from her chair, reaching into her pocket as she tossed him another coin pouch - this one a bit heavier than the one she had handed him before._

_"Thank you very much for your help." she says with a cool smile, then tugged up her hood again as she left the tavern, door swinging shut behind her with a quick snap._

_The bard look between the door she exit and his little extra for a few times before tossing down with the other and raising up his now empty mug_

_"Excuse me miss," he calls cheekily to the passing bar maid, "Would you mind getting me another cup?"_

* * *

The Priestess lit up the torch she brought and lead the other four into the temple with herself in front, lightly tapping the walls with her staff as they delved further in. Every inch was covered in sturdy pale stone blocks, chipped stone and dirt decorating them sparsely. The only splash of color among the halls were the murals placed along the wall near every corner, worn and faded by time and the clawed touch of goblin hands.

“Do you suppose this might have been a shrine of some sort?” the Lizardman ponders, scratching his chin as he observed the flaked paintings. It looked to be a depiction of a beast, surrounded by people...

“I did hear this was a battle ground during the age of the gods,” the Priestess hums, pausing to look around “Everything appears to be manmade, and the weapons those goblin’s standing on guard had looked old – likely gotten from an armory or somewhere similar. Perhaps this was a fortress of some sort at the time?”

Her fellow priest nods, expression turning mournful “To go from a resting place for soldiers to a home for goblins – tis’ a cruel fate to befall such a place.”

“Speaking of,” the Dwarf sighs behind them, and looks back to see the High Elf slowly make her way towards the three, weepy-eyed and moaning sadly as goblin blood dripped off her hair and clothes.

“ _Uuggghhh_ ,” she groans, swaying slightly “I feel so – **so** **gross**... _this is the_ _w_ _oooo_ _orst_ ….”

The small man sighed again, feeling a twinge of pity for the girl despite being in the same state. The Priestess insisted they all take a goblin blood bath so they could enter undetected, and while he understood the reasons, that didn’t make the entire thing less….unpleasant

 _Even I can’t make fun of her right now_ _with the way she is_ _,_ he thinks with a shake of his head, then notices the ranger suddenly come a walk over.

The shaman feels himself relax a bit. Perhaps the boy noticed her suffering and came to give comfort-

“You need to breath through your nose, otherwise you’ll keep feeling sick.” the Ranger says bluntly, and the Dwarf resists the urge to pinch his brows as the elven girl’s hackles raised, pointed finger shaking indignantly

“ _H-_ _h_ _ow are you okay wit_ _h_ _this?!_ ” she growled, loud enough to make her distaste known but not so much as to alert the goblins – even she had the right amount of sense to avoid doing something that stupid. “No human being could ever be fine with something so… _so_ _**disgusting!**_ ”

He tilts his head, “Its not bad once you get used to it.” the young boy replies brusquely with a shrug, “Besides, my master had me do something similar during my training.”

(Though while he says that, it had been a struggle for the him of that time – having to rub himself with wolf innards and their freshly pelted coats to help disguise his scent when his master took him hunting in the mountains. He spent the months following having such terrible nightmares about the whole ordeal.)

She sputters helplessly at that, then turns to the Priestess, who notices and tilts her head towards them. Even with her professional posture, the way she stood just…gave off a feeling of bemusement, as if she was confused by the elf’s revulsion of being soaked in monster blood – particularly from a type that was not know for their good hygiene practices.

(And maybe she was imagining it, but the High Elf could have _swor_ _n_ she was suppressing a laugh!)

“... _You best remember this when we get back_.” she growled, and stomped passed them to go ahead.

“Of course.” The Priestess says politely, and the rest quickly follow their fuming companion suit – last thing they wanted to do was get separated…

* * *

At some point, the murals all began repeating, corners began to blur, and the group began to feel like they had gone certain routes before. It was almost unsettling how little the halls changed with every turn

“This place is like a labyrinth,” the Dwarf mumbles doubtfully “I’m confident in my understanding of the underground, but even this is starting to feel a little...”

The elven girl nods, frowning slightly “I don’t think we’ve taken any wrong turns.” she hums, shifting her gaze slightly “This place is likely a spiral.”

“Like a tower?” the Ranger asks, and the two nod. If this place was a fortress as believed, it wouldn’t have done the army any good to make the layout so complex that even their men couldn’t navigate safely. The monotonous patterning and endless feel of the hall was likely more a choice of aesthetic that deception.

Eventually, they come across a diverging hallway, opening up to a passage stretching out left and right. The group almost continues until the High Elf suddenly holds out her hand

“Hold on” she says, taking a few steps forward before pressing herself to the ground and scratching a space between two of the floor tiles.

“A trap?” The Priestess asks as the other girl rises to her feet again

“An alarm more like it – I noticed because one of the tiles looked off.” she explains “It’s pressure based, and it looks brand new too it seems. It appears to be the only one, so we can move around it, but we should still be careful.”

Instead of moving forward now that it had been declared safe, the Priestess instead drops her head slightly as though in thought.

“Is it recent?”

The High Elf taps her chin thoughtfully and observes the tile again “Not sure – it looks newer than the others though..”

The holy woman mimics her pose “...How odd.” she says “If the alarm is new, then someone made it…But the goblins shouldn’t be capable of something like that.”

Contrary to popular belief, traps were more difficult to set up that they appeared, especially the pressure-based ones. It required a good understanding of math, shapes, and weight differences to have one made and ready (Make the panel too well-fitted for the space, and it won’t go off, no matter how heavy the target is; sent the trigger up wrong, and you risk it going off on its own or backfiring on you). Goblins were smart, enough so to make their own weapons and plan assaults, but not enough to create traps like that – and they usually didn’t do so normally even. For the most part, they mainly just take advantage of what was already in the caves or spaces they build their dens in and let unsuspecting adventurers fumble their way into them. For them to create and install an alarm on their own...

The ranger suddenly comes up her, face pensive as he kept a hand hovering over the sheath were his dagger lay.

“I didn’t see any totems.” he said, and after some consideration and looking around herself, she realizes he’s right – they hadn’t come across a single bone topped tapestry or similar since entering, or any indication of any magic use.

“…Which mean they don’t have a shaman.” she says grimly, aura growing worried as she gripped her staff.

“Isn’t that good?” the High Elf asked, frowning slightly “If there’s no spellcasters, we’ll have less trouble to worry about, right?”

The Priestess pauses briefly, then shakes her head “Not necessarily.”

The High Elf shared a look with others as the priestess considered the situation further. The more she thought about it, the more she realized things weren’t adding up – Goblins are capable of acting without a shaman, but not to the extent they saw with those guards, and they wouldn't have gone so far as to arrange to have a mount nearby for them either if they've been here for as long as she was told. Despite their grogginess, those goblins were prepared to chase down intruders, and stayed out despite it being near their “rest time”, meaning that they had a schedule made and to keep. She had originally believed they had just managed to make it in time to set off their ambush, but what if that was the _intent_ -

The Lizardman’s voice break her out of the spiral as a scaly hand lands on her shoulder “The lack of a spellcaster seems to trouble you?” he says, eye narrowed in concerned “Or rather, it’s the **absence** itself that is the issue.”

It’s with that that she realizes too late her hands are shaking, so she moves away from the touch to turn her back and squares her shoulders, takes a deep breath and focusing on the patterns on the wall in front of her

_Calm down, calm down! Panicking is what the goblins need to do – **not you**_

“...Goblins are capable of a lot, more than most people realize” she says, rubbing her thumb over her staff’s emblem to help settle the rest of her nerves “But they should not have been able to create and install an alarm that complex – and they certainly shouldn’t be staying out past “dawn” for guard duty either, or at least not willingly. They were likely being instructed.”

"Not ordered?" he asks, and she shook her head, earlier worry resurfacing

There was a reason such despicable creatures were often (if not somewhat incorrectly) compared to children – while Goblins on their own were clever and resourceful, they still had their faults, and their greatest one was their inherent impulsiveness; They acted out of want first and foremost, whether it was to fill their bellies or satiate their lust, and are quick to let their emotions take charge when feeling slighted (It wasn’t unusual to see goblins argue or fight amongst each other, or even engage in bullying again their “weaker” members). As such, while hoards were capable of thriving without a "leader" persay, they often required someone of their race with either a strong arm or a decent leadership sense to keep them organized and establish a strict pecking order, otherwise they’d end up cannibalizing each other on the spot or with some wandering off to act on their own, disrupting the entire nest's structure.

Such a job usually fell onto Shamans or Lords, because the goblins who obtained said classes usually had the intelligence/power necessary to create and maintain the hierarchy (or at least the illusion of one), and she hasn’t seen any sign of _either_ being present in this den.

_Which could only mean…._

“You think there’s a leader?” the Dwarf answers for her, and The Priestess grasps her staff tightly

“That, or an abnormality.” she says, turning to face the rest again “Which is why we should stay alert. There’s no telling what the goblins might have planned, or what this all means...”

The group nods, seeming to find that outcome agreeable, though the High Elf still looked a bit uncertain about something.

“How exactly do you plan to deal with them though?” she asked with a slightly raised hand “You mentioned you faced dens this size before right?”

She nods, crossing her arms slightly “It usually depended on where I’ve found them. While most of the time I rely on my miracles, those tend not to be enough,” the priestess explains, and the elven girl pales as she counts off her fingers to list off her methods “Poisons, smoke, pitfalls, bludgeoning – whatever it takes to help me in dispatching of them. None of those seem practical right now though, so we’ll have to wait and see what we’re up against.”

Rather than comment, the archer just silently blanched (though was a bit relieved to hear those methods weren’t going to be used) before she moved towards the right most wall and peaked out from behind it

“...I don’t sense any enemies yet,” she says, looking towards the group “Which way do you think we should go?”

The Dwarven shaman moves passed the alarm panel and inspects the hallway, mainly the ground, sweeping his head left and right.

He tugged his beard and hum thoughtfully “The hideout’s down the left hall.”

The High Elf blinked, unsure of what he had done “How…?”

“There’s more wear and dirt down that end than the other” he explained, tucking his arms behind his back “Meaning they come from the left, then either head right or out the hall here.”

“Are you sure?” the Priestess asks, and he bristles slightly at the implied uncertainty of her tone  
“Of course I’m sure!” he scoffed, holding up three fingers boldly “There’s three things my people pride ourselves in knowing best – _Wine, st_ _eel_ _, and_ _ **st**_ _ **one**_! Believe me when I say that left’s the way to go!”

The Priestess moved past them turned her gaze left, staring down at the winding dark hall – then immediately swerved right

“We’ll head this way first.” she states, noticing her companion’s rightful confusion “Believe me, we’ll need to start there before heading to the main chamber.”

While not fully understanding (or seeing the cold, determined look wash itself over the ranger’s face), the three followed her lead and headed right, ending up in front of a looming, odious door.

“W-what’s that stench?!” the High Elf gagged as she covered her nose and mouth as the others followed suite, and the ranger’s face grew pale when he realized he recognized one of the smells coming out from behind it.

“I-is this...?” he asks, as the Priestess steps forward, staff drawn

“I would suggest you all begin breathing though your noses.” she warns, drawing her arm back. With two quick swings on her staff, the door fell over, and the unbearable odor erupted full force into the hall.

“Ghuh,” the archer shuddered. The smell was so repugnant that she could literally taste in on the back of her tongue “What is this place?”

“A waste room.” the holy woman answers calmly as she stepped inside, boots squishing into the squalor and gunk. There was garbage everywhere, in every corner of the room – molding fruits, rotting boxes, decayed meats and carcasses, and too many other foul things that couldn’t be named. The smell of feces and urine seemed to be the strongest, and hung over the air like a vengeful spirit.

The High Elf peaks in, eyes watering, about to question why she brought them here when a noise startles her –

“….ll….”

She searches the room, blinking away the tears so her vision can clear up.

“...Kil...”

When it does, her heart stops.

Hanging on the wall, naked and bloody, is an elf. Half her body has been cut up and burned severely in several places to the point of looking infected, including her lower half. Her left side is dark with bruises, crusted over with puss and blood (and something else she didn’t have the heart or stomach to identify), and her one visible eye is swollen red – from either tears or whatever beating she endured prior, she isn’t sure. Three ropes are looped around her arms and neck, pinned by a single bolt that hangs above her.

She also realizes that decaying meat smell isn’t just of animals – as she spots rotted, elven looking limbs popping out from various parts of the room, upright like gory trees doting a disgusting wasteland of refuse. The only reason she could even tell their race is the thinness of the exposed bones from the strips of flesh falling off and one having a ring of clear elven origin.

_Then the missing party...they really did..._

“Kill...” the captured elf wheezed again weakly, blood dripping out from her quivering split lip, and the High Elf stumbles back to cover her mouth and keep from adding to the mess of this dungeon while the Dwarf and Lizardman rush ahead to give aid. She had read in the report that some elves had gone missing, captured by the goblins they believed, but she didn’t think...that the goblins would….

Suddenly the Priestess moves forward, twirling her staff so that the point is raised and aimed at…

“W-Wait,” the high elf began to plea, stumbling forward to...to...to…she can’t think what she wants to do but she doesn’t want whats about to come next to be it! “Stop, _stop_ _she’s still_ -!”

Then immediately from the filth, a goblin rises up, bloodthirsty and knife in hand. It launches itself at the approaching holy woman with fervent glee, intent on ending her life and gods know what other atrocities are springing forth in its mind

The priestess wastes not time in dispatching it with a quick stab to its gut with her staff– pinning it to the ground and twisting the end.

“There.” she says, removing her staff from the creature’s innards and making a swift swing down on to its head, brain matter splattering onto the hem of her robes “I’ve killed it, just as you’ve requested.”

* * *

_The High Elf hummed happily to herself as she skipped down the road, heading for the merchant guild nearby. There were some people heading for water town apparently, meaning she could quickly hitch a ride to meet up with her future party members._

_"Still can't believe I have to team up with a stupid dwarf." she mumbles to herself, feeling her mood sour for a moment at the thought before perking up again. She was just feeling too giddy, hyped up on the story she had been told in the bar. To think that there was such a powerful human warrior out there, and one that hadn't been snatched up to the capital like all the others she had tried recruiting before. She had been a bit worried when, after being picked as representative for their mission, she was instructed to find a human adventurer that was outside of the alliance._

_("It's only in case the humans find out about your quest." her aunt tells her, fixing her cloak (and her hair, to her flustered frustration) "If you have a human adventurer with you, they cannot say we were acting behind their backs.")_

_And just her luck, she found one that would not only help them deal with that pesky goblin nest, but might be willing to join the alliance too! From what the bard had told her, Orcbolg was as noble as they were strong, and brave enough to face whatever challenges life brought. Certainly, they would be more than willing to help them out once she met them and told of her people's plight. Someone who went out of their way to save someone's poor daughter wouldn't dream of ignoring the fact that the dark lords are trying to threaten the peaceful lives of the same people they go out to rescue so often._

_Plus, she's certain they'd be grateful for the opportunity to stretch their legs and head somewhere new. Adventures are all about seeing new sights, and they must be tired of having to deal with goblins all the time..._

_(After all, she can't imagine someone willing to spend all their free time killing such weak creatures like that - especially now with the demons running around!)_

* * *

After treating her injuries as best they could, the Lizardman summons a dragon tooth warrior – a type of familiar he can command apparently though the use of a bone medium apparently, to take the elf captive they rescued back to the surface alongside a letter detailing what they had encountered so far in the shrine (including their theory that the goblins may have an outside force organizing them).

“They should make it back to the Elven woods safely.” the reptilian priest says as his warrior rushes off back towards the center hall, letter and rescuee in hand.

“Those wounds looked old.” The Ranger observes as he watches alongside him. “She must have been left there for quite a while.”

“We did all we could,” is his response, offering a small prayer as the echo of his summon’s footsteps vanish into the dark “Now we must hope for the best.”

Meanwhile, within the waste room, the Priestess’s hands link together in prayer with a parchment and tiny pouch in her hands

“Earth Mother, in your ever present kindness, please watch over that elf, so she may be ensured a safe journey home.”

She gets no reply except the buzzing of flies, so she takes the moment to recollect herself before turning and exiting, unrolling the paper to show to the party

“It seems that elf had a map of the area on her. She was likely an adventurer as well,” she says, holding it out towards the Dwarf “You were correct in guessing the main chamber was left – There’s a gallery there connecting to the other side.”

The Dwarf can’t help but quirk an eyebrow at her as he took it “So you _did_ doubt my expertise?”

“No,” she says with a shake of her head, tone colored with slight hint of teasing that made the bearded shaman scoff “But having a second opinion helps, and at least we’ll have a better time of navigating.”

Off to the side, the High Elf was still crying, haunted by the image of seeing the after effects of one of her own kind tormented and strung up like that. She knew goblins were evil, that they were capable of all sort of terrible things, being that they were creatures aligned with the forces of chaos, but...

“W-why...” she sobbed, fists clenched as she shook and wept “Why would...why is something like this even happening.”

The Priestess walks over to her, hand on her shoulder and offering the pouch

“This was on her as well. It looked personal.” she states “Do you wish to hold onto it?”

The elven girl looks down at the dirty thing, covered in grime and blood. She recognized the pouch as something made by those in her tribe, the embroidered marks meant to offer protection from danger when traveling.

( _A lot of good that had done for her..._ )

She then snatches it from her hands, wiping the remainder of her tears harshly away

“We can wait if you prefer it?”

“No,” she sniffed, feeling the last of her tears finally dry “We need to hurry. Let’s go...”

She rushes forward, glaring hatefully into the dark ahead (where she imagined thousands of blank yellowed eyes glaring back).

_We need to kill all these **damnable** goblins_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, see you next chapter


	4. Always Cut Twice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three begins
> 
> Quick warning - there is a ton of gore (via goblin murder) in this chapter, so if you just want to avoid all that, it starts at "Each pull out their knives and daggers" and ends at "When they finish", or just click the more notes button. Enjoy!

The Ranger is put in charge of the map, and the group travels back to the fork to make their way to the main chamber where the heart of the goblin nest likely thrives. There are fewer goblins scattered around the halls than she expects (or finds comfortable. It was such a large nest after all, so there should be more around standing guard of it), but it helps makes their journey a bit more smoother, and they’re able to take down whatever ones they run into with little issue.

Eventually, they exited into a narrow dark room, the torch light held by the Priestess being their only source of light.

“We’ve come quite far.” The Dwarf says with a groan as he bends back, feeling his aching spine and shoulders pop in relief. Aside from the earlier detour, they had been moving throughout the ruins without pause, and his joints were slowly starting to feel the length of their journey

The Ranger nods in agreement, and straightens out the map as he looks around to try and match it with their current location “We’re halfway to the gallery it seems. If we keep this pace...”

As he speaks, his eyes fall on the High Elf, who’s steady frame suddenly looks unstable as her shoulders shake and her breaths become more labored. It was obvious that righteous fury that had been powering her steps after leaving the waste room was starting to take its toll on her, and she was looking rather close to falling over at this rate…

He looks at the Priestess, who seems to notice this too, and the holy woman stops before setting down the torch against a small indent in the ground, holding the flaming stick upright.

“Perhaps we should take a break?” she says, and while her long-eared companion flinches at the idea of pausing when they’re so close to getting to the source (to getting vengeance for that poor elf), the High Elf sits down as instructed while she herself takes to the nearby wall “It’d be good to take stock of what we have before going in.”

The other two spellcasters agree with a nod and sit down along with her, forming a small circle around the flame “How many miracles do you have left between you? I used Heal quite a lot on that elf girl earlier, so I’m already down to four.”

“I am of the same situation and have been reduced to three,” says the Lizardman priest “However, my Dragontooth warriors require catalysts, of which I only have few of remaining, so it would be one for that spell.”

“I haven’t casted yet, so I still have the four or five of my usual calls to the spirits.” States the Dwarf, and the three begin discussing how to best make use of their remaining spells for the rest of the journey.

Meanwhile, the archer had taken to a more secluded corner of the hall far from the torch light, shoulders feeling heavier than before as she counted her arrows for the umpteenth time. So close, they were so close to getting to the center of the nest, getting rid of these things and bringing peace to the families nearby…

“…Adventures aren’t supposed to be like this.” She mutters, head hung low as she laid it against her knees. When she agreed to act as a representative for her tribe and become an adventurer, she understood that it was not going to be an easy task, that there was going to be peril ahead and danger at every step – But there was also supposed to be _good_ things. Wonderful things like defeating evil monsters and rescuing villages and making new reliable friends and traveling to amazing faraway lands! The kinds of things adventures were supposed to be filled with; not of elves being tortured, covering yourself in monster blood, and searching out evil little creature hiding in temples near your home, eager to do the same to others, to other poor innocents who wander too close.

(To people you _knew_ )

There’s a sloshing sound behind her, breaking her dim reverie, and she turns to see the Ranger kneeling down just behind her, offering her a waterskin flask

“Don’t drink too much.” he says as she carefully takes the item “Too much water will slow your movements.”

She wanted to roll her eyes at him, but she was too exhausted and wound up to make the effort, so she just takes a few quick gulps and hands it back while he watches her carefully, suddenly sitting down.

“...We can’t waste any time.” He says, giving her a hard stare “The path behind is clear enough for you to be able to navigate your way back to the surface on your own.”

It barely takes a moment for the offense to set in before she snorts at the offer, eyes narrowed “And leave you all here, helplessly scrambling around for traps and ambushes?” she asks drily, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she gives a hard stare back in return “I’m an _anchor_ – I can’t afford to leave.”

He seems to get her irritation and shifts back, biting his lip lightly “I...” the boy starts, tucking in his legs close as he seems to think deeply about his next sentence “I only meant that…if it's like this, then it might be better for you if you go back now-”

The words aren’t cold, even if their delivery is stunted and stone cut, but they freeze her heart in blazing fire. Her bow clatters to the ground as she stands up abruptly, shoulders shaking and teeth grinding against each other as the magmatic fury that had been building up slowly and surely since they left room (no, even before that) flowed into her bones and burned away her remaining fatigue

“...go back?” she asks, voice already straining from unrepentant angry. He tries to close in, but is forced back as she whirled to face him “Go back you say – As if I could do something like that!? After what we’ve already seen, after seeing what that elf has been through – _what my people will go through if I don’t finish!_ ”

She realizes she looks ridiculous and childish, screaming red faced at a child who’s barely blinking at her tantrum (and that’s what it was, no matter how hard she tried rationalizing it to herself), can feel the others staring at her, but the High Elf finds she’s unable to care enough to reign any part of herself in. She had been **foolish** , thinking that getting rid of the goblins would be simple, that getting Orcbolg and setting her on the nest as they made their merry way in was all they needed to do! Goblins were simple monsters after all, creatures that only knew how to pillage and leech off others. Destroying a nest of them should have been an easy task – but it was anything but, and the fact she never considered it just spoke of her naivety! If she had been aware of what they’d find down here, of what had been going on (of what was being done to those that had vanished), if they had come sooner, then maybe, just maybe...

“My home is nearby too...” she wheezes, doing her best to try and temper that sparked flame in her chest as the tears build up again “ _ **I can’t leave now**_.”

She thinks of the elves beyond the stone fortress they were in right now, her elders who smiled at her and help her makes her arrows and taught her the different birdsongs, the younglings that go “sister, sister!” when she passed their trees and asked her about the fruits and the birds and dragged her off to make flower crowns, her friends who teased her about the journey she had planned to make and went out of the way to steal wine from under the elders nose to drink and celebrate her achievement.

She thinks of her people only know the forest's love and nature’s song, and how none of those things had protected the captive elf they found. They only know of the dangers of the world through the stories of those who pass by their woods – if the goblins found a way in there, if the chaos sown by the demon’s army was enough to give them such an opportunity, she’d-

A hand lands on her shoulder, and the Priestess practically manifests behind her out of the air.

“You’re dedication to your people and this quest is noble, and I can sympathize with wanting protect them,” she says, expression soft despite being hidden “However, it would do no good if you neglected your health because of it. Whether you stay or go, I _do_ promise that the goblins will be dead at the end of this day.” The high elf’s shoulder is given a gentle squeezed “You have my word as an adventurer and your sought out goblin slayer.”

She hates how she says it so _determinedly_ , yet with that cottony, soothing tone that’s supposed to lull her into a calm and chilling the burning consuming her.

(and she hates that it works, bringing her boiling rage down to a bubbling simmer as her tears finally subdued themselves)

“However, if you say you are able to go forward, I shall believe you.” she says, removing her hand. Just as quick as silver, she had morphed herself back into a professional adventurer before turning to the others, giving them a moment to recollect themselves.

“It seems we’re all set to go. Shall we be off?”

If the Ranger had anything more to say to her, or either of them, he made no effort to speak up. Instead, he put the pouch away and brings the map out again with a sharp nod.

“Then lets hurry.” he says quietly, already following as the Priestess moves ahead of them

She can’t help but glare at him, but also feel shame broil in her gut doing so. The child was younger than her (by so many, _many_ years), yet he was acting calmly in the face of all this. The last thing she should be doing is acting so absurdly, even if it did help keep the helplessness clawing at the corners of her brain at bay.

She hears the dwarf stop next to her, and she’s already taking a deep breath as she prepares herself for the teasing that will follow. It's not completely unearned this time around.

“You know,” he says, tugging his beard sagely “Goblins and dwarfs are sworn enemies too, and there are plenty of my folks that pass through this land for jobs.”

The abruptness of the sentence nearly knocks her over, as does the bold, determined stare he gives her after “So don’t let it get to you too much, Miss Anvil – I promise, we’ll deliver retribution for your defiled comrade and her lost friends.”

The calm yet determined tone that speech was carried in makes the shame that bloomed before double in intensity, and the sight of the lizardman looking back at them (eyes filled with knowing and comfort, yet carrying that same resolute promise), was all that was needed to blow out the last embers of her temper.

She takes a breath, coughing into her hand lightly to hide turning her head away

“To be comforted by a dwarf,” she sighs, glaring lightly at his chuckle in response “But, I can find no fault in your words.”

The half-man smiles, and she can’t help but let a slight pout take over “Thank you...and forgive my outburst from earlier.”

He scoffs, though seems relieved she’s finally fully calmed “Just don’t go repeating it. Bad omen to start commotion in enemy territory.” he says with a laugh, and the Elf girl just rolls her eyes with a muttered ‘I know’ before the two hurry to catch up with the group.

* * *

After more navigating, they finally make it to the gallery. It’s a large round room with balcony’s on each level, spiraling up towards the heavens and only illuminated by the dim light above them.

“The moon’s still out, it seems.” The priestess hums, then motions them to follow her to the edge of the railing, instructing the High Elf to survey the area below them.

“I hear elves have quite good long-distance vision, especially in the dark.”

The elven girl’s lip quirks up lightly “You heard correctly.” she says with a slight hint of pride, and leans over as she squints into the darkness

At first, she see nothing, just darkness and stone. The are a lot of levels, but not too many that they would exhaust themselves making their way down.

But once her eyes readjust, she’s finally able to spot them –

_Goblin_ _s_

The High Elf grips the edge so tightly it stings her gloved hands. They’re all laying on the ground, sprawled around their weapons and squalor like petty little bandits (Which felt too good an insult, because even bandits had their pride).

“What does it look like?” The priestess asks, sliding next to her. It’s a bit shocking it doesn’t give the high elf a bigger fright than expected, but it allows her to gain some momentary calm to remember herself and turns back to her and the party

“There are goblins on the last level. They seem to be sleeping.” she says, adjusting her cloak “There’s about fifty of them, I think?”

The priestess hums thoughtfully, head bobbing slightly “…Less than I expected, but still something manageable we can plan around.”

She nods slightly before blinking as if something came to mind, grimacing at the holy woman “Please tell me it doesn’t involve poison….?”

She thankfully shook her head “No – the space is too wide for that, and I doubt the area has proper ventilation for us to avoid breathing it in.” she says calmly with a slight laugh, seeming to ignore the flat look she received “Besides, if they’re mostly asleep, it means we won’t have to worry too much about fighting – We just need to ensure they don’t notice our presence and that we can handle this stealthily.”

The priestess then turns towards the Dwarf, cocking her head slightly “You said earlier you still had five miracles left, yes….?”

She’s met with an eager grin in return as the small man raised his gourd, the contents swishing.

* * *

The goblin rises from the sleeping pile, rubbing his grubby face. Its still a few hours before he has to take his fellow’s shifts, but that really isn’t what’s occupying his tiny mind right now – he had drunken a bit too much during their meal earlier, and now his bladder was asking for relief.

He makes his way to a nearby corner, and lifts his loin cloth, sighing pleasantly as he did his best not to splatter the other goblins resting a few inches away.

As the last of his urine left him and he readied to return to his rest spot, a gruff but soft voice suddenly echoed from above, startling him

“ _Drink_ _deep_ _and_ _s_ _ing_ _soft_ _, Oh_ _whimsical_ _s_ _pirits_ _of the ale_ _~!_ ” The husky voice sang happily, peppy scuffling following after “ _Make merry as you dance,_ _open up the trail – the trail to the land of sleep_ _._ _.._ _!_ ”

He looked around desperately as the song continued, eyes unable to lay upon the source. The more he searched, the more lead-footed and sluggish he started to feel as cheerful fuzz slowly envelop him, like he had just had a big celebration with the others.

Eventually, he finally found it – a small dwarf dressed in white, dancing on the rim of the railing a few floors up. The creature doesn’t understand what this intruder’s doing, but he knows he shouldn’t be here and that he needs to deal with them before their leader returns.

(He made it very clear after last time that he didn’t tolerate excuses when it came to letting others wander into their den)

However, before he could do anything about it, another voice suddenly joins in and overlaps with his melody – this one soft but firm

“ _Oh Earth Mother, abounding in your mercy….”_

He spots her too late – the strange woman in blue and white with the large staff, standing a bit away from the dwarf, and focuses on calling his comrades to arms in taking care of the intruders who dared enter their den

“ _Enter the intoxicated dream_ –”

“ _B_ _ring tranquillity to those who seek your peace –_ ”

Unfortunately, just as he opens his mouth to scream and rouse the rest of the den, the two finish their chanting

“ _ **Drunk**_ _._ ”

“ _ **Silence**_ _.”_

A cottony light and fine mist wash down overhead as the goblin’s voice leaves him, and he made dizzy and unsteady on his feet, brain filled with wonderful fizz as he silently toddles on his feet. He only takes a single step before falling over, lost in an inebriated dream…

* * *

The Ranger, Lizard priest, and High Elf archer all made their way to the  bottom floor level quietly, making great care not to step too harshly or bump themselves o r their weapons into the stone. Even with the combined efforts of their two spell casters to  ensure the goblins remained asleep, even the smallest noise could undo their plan.

Once they reached the floor and assured they hadn’t been noticed or awoken their prey, they each slinked over to the nearest goblin.

It was  amazing to see that such monsters sleep,  impossible to imagine even. They  barely looked bothered by the slight disturbance from before, obliviously dreaming away about whatever  ekes out an existence in their little, rotten heads.

( _It’s_ _**despicable**_ )

Each pull out their knives and daggers, letting the blades hang over the goblin’s necks  like a judge’s gavel before plunging them straight in.

They barely have a chance to scream before chocking on their own blacken ed blood as it dribbled out their mouths,  dying in dismay and fear  with surprise twisting their faces.

The Ranger’s a bit surprised to see  how easily the other two do it,  especially considering that this seems to be their first time dealing with goblins . He can only imagine that they’ve had  much more  experience with such things  than he expected, or  have the maturity to focus and devote themselves fully to the task at hand .  Their cuts are smooth,  determined , and aimed where they’re needed.  Even the H igh Elf, still filled with rage over the events from before, is able to  give a deliberate killing blow with no hesitation after three goblins in.

Him, on the other hand,  still must remember his master’s words when he does things like this.  Even after everything, he somehow always ends up  running his blade  through twice,  just in case.

~~ (The insides of their neck look so despicably much like his - vocal cords and neck muscle left exposed cruelly to the open air without rhyme or reason, still twitching with life even after it had fled. Had the warrior felt similar when the goblins had torn his throat open) ~~

Meanwhile, the High Elf is lost in her task, the frustration from before bubbling back up in full force and directing her strikes as she slides her knife into the sleeping beasts, one after another. Some required two stabs, some required deep ones, some even needed to be sliced across the throat instead. It becomes habit, the blood and bodies blurring together slowly but surely in her haze of hate for the creatures below her.

S he stabs  another one , and bits back a curse as her blade’s handle slips from her grasp, having to grasp with both hands to pull it from the goblin’s corpse with a loud, slurping _shluck_ that near causes her to drop it.  


_ The blood’s  _ _ making my blade  _ _ handle _ _ slippery…  _ She realizes, then hisses quietly, looking around to see if her fumble alerted any of the goblins and noticing that the Lizardman is not only sweeping through his block quickly, but is also the only one  with barely any blood on him, his narrow blade glistening in the dark  while her  own was turning duller with every stab . He almost looks mythical, dancing through that self-made rain of blood and goblin visera as his weapon tears through their flimsy necks as if they were paper.  


(She recalls him telling her  before that his blade  was made through prayer with his ancestors, like how miracles work. Is that why it’s still remaining sharp after so much?)

Elsewhere, the Ranger was ahead of both of them, already moving to the other side of the room. The boy may look weak, but he certainly is quick – In the time she’s killed two goblins, he’s already felled four, and when his dagger wouldn’t do, he simply grabs one of the goblin’s own nearby blades to do them in. He makes two simple stabs or cuts to the throat, waiting only for a minute or so before he moves on. He certainly knew how to be efficient, even with the task of murdering monsters.

( I t’s admittedly impressive, even if she dislikes having to say so internally. )

It continues  like clockwork – find a goblin, plunge  the blade deep, pull and wipe, and repeat. If the neck doesn't work, go for the chest, and if not that then the stomach - hell, you can even aim for the side of the head. Ignore the dying gurgles stuggling from their wirey throats. Ignore the pools of blood bubbling up from their gross open maws. Ignore fading light in their grimey yellow eyes. Ignore the bone and flesh peaking though their limp, torn necks. Ingnore it all and stab. Stab deep, stab with force, stab with the anger of every poor soul that had the misfortune to become their victim. Stab and cut, stab and cut, stab and cut, stab and cut, stab and cut, stab and cut, stab and cut, stab and cut, stab and cut, stab and cut, stab and cut, stab and cut, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab ab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stab stabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabletthembleedstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabtheydeserveitstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabtheyshowednomercystabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabsonomercyshallbetheirsstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabsta

* * *

When they finish, a sea of black blood is pooling at their feet while the air stank of death, and she already gasping while the Lizardman clapped his hands together in prayer and the Ranger puts away his dagger. Her arms are sore from the stabbing (they’ve built up the muscle necessary for archery, but even something like this can become a strain when done for so long without rest), and the burning hatred that had been pulling her along so steadily was now weighing down on her shoulders more heavily than before. 

But, she still felt at least some  strength remain,  and at the very least, she was still feeling a tad too spiteful at the corpses under her to feel exhaustion just yet

The Priest had been winded too, breathing heavily as he slowly lowered his hands,  and looked to be recovering slowly .  She wasn’t surprised – he was making larger and wider attacks than she was, so that likely ate more into his energy than her own attacks did,  and he  _ was _ a spellcaster (even with the bigger bulk that was natural for his race, his was not a class built on maintaining stamina) .  Still, it seemed he was still ready to continue the adventure as well,  much to her relief .

Even the Ranger had needed a moment, his hands still shaking, though from the look on his face you'd think he was treating it like its business as usual. His breath seemed strained, and he was taking deeper breaths than she expected, but he looked to at least be recovering a bit.

(She had assumed he put in less energy into the deed since he had killed more swiftly than they did, but that might not have been the case. )

The Priestess and Shaman eventually made their way down and rejoined them, the former silently sweeping her gaze over the miles of dead goblins before giving an approving nod.

She then walked over to the High Elf, startling her a bit, before pointing to the archway laying to the west of the room with her staff. While she had said nothing, the intention was clear –

_Let’s continue_

They all looked at each other to confirm they were ready to go one (she had regained her breath already, and the others looked fine), and without a word, they move forward alongside the Priestess, weapons already drawn.

They only took a few steps before the room began to rumble beneath their feet, and a sharp, all-consuming bellow rushed out around them

“What the-” exclaimed the High Elf, wobbling as she tried to regain her footing.

The Dwarven shaman looked around, eyes narrowed as he shifted himself into an unsteady stance “Something’s coming,” he cries “Something big!”

When the shaking stopped and the echoes of the howl ceased, they all followed the dwarf's example and readied themselves, weapons held out in caution for whatever they had to face next

Heavy footfalls began to echo around them, followed by a deep, rumbling chuckle, and it only took a few moments for them to realize they were coming from the darken halls of the opening.

Even though nothing could be seen (even by those with dark-sight), they could feel the sharp, calculative gaze emerge from the shadows to take stock of them and the sea of goblin corpse they had created.

“ **I was wondering why the goblins had gotten so quiet all of a sudden.** ” a voice suddenly hummed in amusment, the dark baritone burying itself into the marrow of their bones as it drew closer. The sound alone was enough to almost make their bodies seize up on instinct “ **Seems I have you riffraff to thank for that.** ”

The priestess stepped back, and the High Elf instinctively came forward in front of her. Even if the woman was a famous adventurer, she was still their support – she needed to remain in the backlines to keep safe.

“ **You** **lot** **probably came here because you found out this was one of our bases, thinking you could cut down our numbers….** ”

Eventually, a large, mud green leg emerged from the shadows, crushing a pile of the freshly killed goblins into paste beneath its massive heel. The rest of the body followed suit, revealing a large, horned humanoid with a short, fiery beard and sharp fangs. Around each bicep was a golden ring, and his shoulders were adorned with dark spikes, the same color as his horns.

The priestess and Ranger stances had turned tense immediately as the high elf gulped, while the Lizard priest let out a curse in his native tongue and dwarf just chuckled nervously.

_Of all the monsters to run into…._

“ _Well_ _ **shit**_ ,” the elven girl cursed, grip tightening around her bow as the beast they would now have to face came into full view

_Why did it have to be a **fucking Ogre**!_

_“Looks like we found the final boss a bit early.”_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Welcome to the chapter notes  
> This scene didn't change much from canon, minus a few things, but I did have fun putting my own spin on the High Elf's POV for this. I think after the Priestess, she's one of my fav characters from the series.
> 
> Thanks again for reading. See you next chapter

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, nice to see you again!  
> As said, decided to continue with the fic verse because I really did enjoy writing out the Swapped!GS/Priestess dynamic in the last one and wanted to see where I could go with it.
> 
> This time, we're on the Ogre-arc! I considered swapping the Elf/Dwarf/Lizard trio's jobs around too, but in the end, I just could not imagine them not being in their assigned roles, so I ended up just keeping things the same with them. As for the Goblin Slayer ballad, I ended up changing the pronouns to gender-neutral for the sake of the little "plot-twist" of the High Elf and co encountering the Priestess. I imagine her adventures have traveled word-of-mouth enough that the story degraded people just don't know who or what is killing goblins with such holy ferocity.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading, see you next chapter!


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